Photographic-print-treating apparatus



5 Sheets-Sheet l Y( M/; ATTO NEYL vBY A. w. CAPs Filed March 1',

lO'HiH HHH Jan. 13, 1931.

PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT TREATING APPARATUS Jan. 13, 1931: A. w. CAPsPHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT TREATING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Ma'rch l,1929 Jan. 13, 1931. A. w. CAPE:V 1,783,448

PHTOGRAPHIC PRINT TREATING APPARATUS Filed March l, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet3 INVENTOR Jan. 13, 1931. A. w. CAPs 1,788,448-

v HOTOGRAPHIC PRINT TREATING APPARATUS Filed March l, 1929 5Sheets-Sheet 4 BY www ATT E Jan. 13, 1931. A. w. cAPs l,788,44&

PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT TREATING APPARATUS Filed March l. 1929 5 SheetswSheet5 INVENTOR especially applicable toV socalle` d coinmercial cameras inwhich exposures aremade on YPatented Jari. 13, 1931 narran]`srareasra'inn'ifforfrlfci: v

Anfriinnw. cnrs, ornooi-'iEsTna-NEW YQRK; AssIGNoR To riiorosTArconrona'rioii,

or Piaovin-nivcn, airone isiiiinneonrona'rion or niaonnisLANDPiao'roGRAPH-ierninm@HEATING VAriuimirii's Application med March i1,1929. `Serial No. 3433655.

rDie presentinvention relates to photography and more particularly tothetreatment of photographic prints after they have been expos-ed in acamera. The invention is successive portions of a vroll of Vsensitizedsheet material, -the exposed l portions then being seveixd from the rolland treated.

'atns including suitable. print treating appa developing and fixingbaths.

It is particularly iviththe'print, treating` baths that the presentinvention deals# and preferably with the iixingbath, although it Y isalso applicable to the developing bathor to other baths such as Washingbaths. An object of the invention is the provision of means formoviiigthe bathjcontainer in a` novel Way. in order to produceefficiently Waves in the bath Which Will flow over. and submergea printplaced therein.

Another obj ect of the invention is thev pro-V vision of meansY fortwisting or shifting` 'a print fwhile it is being'renioved from vprintconveying mechanisnn in order to assist'snch;

removal. Preferably thisV twisting` ofthe print is caused by theV samemovement of the container above nientioneth which creates the waves inthe' bath,

A further Objectis the ,provision of stationary guiding means in. aYmovable :bath container for limiting the movement of Va print Withinthe bath ivhen Vthe container is moved, andthe provision of improveddriving mechanism for the parts.

To vthese and other ends the invention re sidesxin certainiinpinvementsand combina tions of parts, all as vrwill l e hereinaftermore fully describech the novel features being pointed out in the claimsat the end of the specification.

in the drawings:

'Figi'. l is a. side elevation of a portion of a commercialcamerashoWing a preferreden'ibodiment of the invention appiied thereto,and illustrating` pa'rtici'ilarly the driving mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken longitudinallythrough the apparatusslightly inside the right hand `Wall of the casing;

.Figjf is a horizontal section substantially on the :line ofV Fig. 2,.illustrating.por-` tions `of the drive. for the print removing ig. `#lisa f ragiiientary vertical section through the forward end k:oftheprint'treating-- bath and associated ,parts7 takensuhstan- F 5 is `afragmenteV details of the print conveying4 mechanism;

- Fig. 6 is a Jtransvcrse @vertical section `through the apparatusehovvingtlielhath concontainer, parts 'of the-,casing being shown inhorizontal sectionY Y ySimilar reference numerals throughout the severalviews indicate the same parts.

The drawings illustrate7 especially in l and 6, a pair yof horizontalv"frame membersy l() from vhich is hung a'casi'ng comprising` side Wallsll. y eifportion l2 'of the Casing,` projects upwaidlyabove the framemembers lOfat Vthe forward end of the walls ll and constitutes'partofltheeXposure chamber of i a camera, :the other parts of which are notshoivn. Within this` exposure chamber there is suitable 'ineai 1`s,V notshoi'vn for holding sensitized sheetmaterial inposition tobe exposed,and for feeding` and Vsevering the ex-V posed portions of theSheetmaterial, asvvill he understoodby those familiar ivith commercialcameras.4

The severedprints are picked up vhy suitable printconveyiiig mechanismwhich may include., for example, a-pair yof.endless n1enibers suchas.the chains V1:5 'guided over suitable sprockets 16, 17, 18h19 and 20 so.that these chains have. apredetermined pathV of {tra-vel anendlesscircuit.` The chains are provided with suitable means for pick?A ing Vupcarryingl along the exposed prints,A which means, niay comprise aplurality of spaced pin barsl as shown in Fig.

'5., eachpinbar being `secured. at 'one` end to the right hand chain andat the other end to the left `hand chain', so 4that; .feaeliV p iii barextends transversely i aCfSf v the apparatus is aA similar View showing.the bath tially along the centerline efthefapparatus; l

plan illustrating' Y washing baths (not shownlso that the printV VVisdeveloped .and washed during its travel.

ing mecnanism.

paleduponftliese pins in a manner under#V within the casing, and travelsalong `when the chains are moved. Pins 22 are fixed to each pin bar 2land' project torn ardly there- -irom inthe direction of travel of theconveyl An exposed print is `iinstoodby those skilled in the art, and isthus drawn along when the conveying mechanism is moved.` Preferably thepath ot travel ot the' conveying meclianisn passes through Va developingbath and through one or more In the embodiment of apparatus hereillustrated, the conveying mechanism then moves vertically'upwardly nearlthe back of tlieapparatus or near tlie lett handend of Fig-2, passesover the sprocket' 16,'the'printmeaiiw iile being Y guided by the rollerand thence moves forwardly substantially -hori- Zontally-1over acontainer 26 which holds a print fixing bath such ashypoor the li re.

Y During the travel of the conveying mech'- anism over the container 26,the forward edge of the print isimpaledupon the p insi22 while the restof the printtriils' alonglbo hind, the free portion of the 3Y into thebath within the container 2G as the conveyormoves.

As the pin bar 2l on Awhich the print is impaled nearsthe forward end ofthe container 26, the print is removed therefrom so that the entireprint falls into the container. To accomplishl this removall readily,the

sprockets 17 and 18 are arranged so Vas to cause theconveyor to reverseits direction of movement so that the pins 22 willi'or a momentbeprojected rearwardly in the manner illustrated in Fig. Ll. When theparts are in this relationship, the .print illustrated at P in thisigure, is removed from the" pins by y the wiping action of anoscillating wiping member having resilient fingers A of rubber lor thelike fixed to a plate: 3l mounted on an oscillating' shaft 3s,mechanism'heref after described being provided for causing `bar may pickup another exposedprint and,v convey it through the developing bath and'to the fixing bath, in the samejmanner. v It sometimes happens that aprint sticks slightly on the'pins 22 on which it is 'im-Y paled, sothatV the wiping movement of the fingers 30 does not effectively removethe print `from allot the pins. Alsoit frequent i int'bacl ot theimpaled forward edge falling by gravity` ly happens that whenk a printistreed iroin the conveying mechanism andrfalls into the container 26,it remains lioating for a vconv siderable'timeon the surface of theibathunless means is provided for submerging it. The submergence of the printin order to obtain thorough and-'uniform action of the bath thereon isespecially important where, as in the present instance,the print isVdeposited in the bath'with its sensitized or emulsion side uppermost.

According to the-present invention, e novel means is provided which notonly assists the removal: of the' prints `from the conveying means butalso insures the eiective submergence oi' each print so that-it willfbeacted upon thoroughly and uniformlyby the fixing solution. This novel'means preferably comprises means for moving the bath con` tainer 26 in alateral or transverse direction, which movement produces a twistingaction on theprint impaled on the pins 22 and thus .assists the removalof the print l'romthe conveying mechanism, and which also produces'waves in the bath which vflowY over the'print effectively and submergeit quickly,so that it will be acted upon properly and uniformly by theLtreatingbath. 'A lateral movementl et the hath container is moreadvantageous than 'a'longitudinal movement not only because twists theprint and helpsto Vremove it from the conveying mechanism, but alsobecause the container ordinarily has'considerably less breadth thanlength, and vwaves .need not be so high or of such great ampli'- Vtudeto flow entirely acrossthe container as would be required to flow thelength of the container. Hence the container need not be reciprocatedsoviolently in 'a transverse di- :i'e'etion asin a longitudinalYdirection, less power is required, and the submerging action of thewaves is more rapid and reliable.

:In order to permit this lateral movement ot the container, it ismounted upon a pair of rollers 40 rotatably journalled in bearingsLll'supported on a horizontal plate l2 extending across'the apparatus.These rollers d() extend longitudinally of the apparatus, so that thecontainer supported on them may move transversely. Since the container26 is preferably made of hard rubber or the like, a metal shell 43 is`provided extending across the bottoinand partially up the sides of thecontainer, tliis'shell providing a smooth bearing surface for rolling onthe rollers 40, 'and preventing wear of the container itself.'

' Each of the rollers is'provided with a groove 44; extendingcircumferentially around the. roller, and a 'strip 45 fixed to thebottom of the member t'runsl in these grooves 44 and acts as a guidingrail preventing any twisting of the container and insuring true parallelmotion thereof.

The movement-s of the container are preferably produced by the samedriving means rife-same which oscillates the printremovingumeans 4andthe print conveying mechanism. Such drivingmeans, as illustratedin Fig.l comprises'for example a motor 50 arranged,v

Vthrough suitable gearing within "the Vgear box 5l, to drivecontinuouslya vertical shaft having a bevel gear 52 at `its upper end. This bevelgear meshes With another "bevel gear ont-lie forward end of horizontalshaft 54 which carries anotherbevel gear 55 at its rear en d, and whichalso has a spiral gear'56 near its reariend. 5 f ,y

The bevel gear 55 drives another bevel gear 57 on asliort vertical shaft58 provided with a crank member 59 at its upper end, this crank memberhaving a crank pin '.60 Which, as shown in, Figs. 7 and 8,v.is'connected by a link 6l to a bracket `inember 62`iix`ed to the shell43 of the container 26. x Thus,.the continuous rotation of the shaft 54produced by the motor 50 rotates the crank pin 60 and iecipi'ocates thebath container in a transverse direction. VThis reciprocation produceswaves in the bath which `flow over and submeree the print, and it'alsomoves the rear end of theprint transverselytosomeextent, thus twistingit and assisting itsV removal from tlie pins 22. f

The print removing means is driven from thevspiral gear 56 abovementioned." This s iral 'ear meshes With another s )iral ear 65 to whichis fixed a crank 66 connected to one end of a link 67.V Theotlierend ofthislink is pivoted to an arm 68 at the outer end of a short rock shaft69' which extends through the side wall ll of the casingjand whichcarries another ariii 70 at its Vinner end. v'll-his inner arm 70 of therock shaft-is connected by a link 71 to arni'72 on the shaft 32Wliiehsup- V portst'he wiping :fingers 30 of-tliepr-int removingmeans. shaft54 not only reciprocates the bath container 26, `but alsoosci-llatesthe" print removing means. i v

lt will be noted especiallyfrom, Fig. 3 that the link 7l which connectsthe arm 70 tothe arm 72 is of U-shaped form. This is necessitated by thefactthat; the arm' must extend around a depending lug 73 on which thesprockets 17 and 18V are mounted, and accordingly this U-shapedconstruction is adapted. rl'he link must extend around the outer sideoi` this lug '(3,'sii`ice if it extended directly from the arm 70 to thearmV 72 it would be in the path of travel of'pin bars 21.

he endless nieml'iers 15 of the conveying mechanism may be drivencontinuously but are preferably driven intermittently by'suitablegearing of known construction Within the gear box 51. The driving Visarranged to be started by depression of an operating plunger 75, whichmay be moved by a handle 7 6 shown in Fig. l. Then the driving of theconveying mechanism has once been started by operation of the handle 76,it will continue Thus,V the rotation of they untilitliemechanismlhaslbeen driven a predetermined distaneeland thenthe .drivingvrwill automatically cease' until the plungerV 75 isa-gain depressed."Thesliaftt is `preferably driven continuously,however, sol that :theconveying` finechanism is at rest.AV

The presentiiiventioii alsopiovides guid-V iiigfnieans wvhin the printtreatingbath for limiting somewhat trie movements yof the printsinirespenseto the,reciprocatingniove-V ments Aof jthe bath Container.`llliis.guiding means may `ce-'niprise a grid-like structure .formed ofya seriesof wireszbenttothe shape bestshown inFigs. 6 and 7. Eaehfwirehasa straight @portion SO extending` transversely aerossthe bath'4container slightly abovejtlie fbottonif'thereof andA below the surfaceofthe liquid 1bath,.side.portions 81 extending up ward/ly from thecndsofthe portion 80, and terminal `port-ions .fixed at their. outerends to `inwardly, extending ledges or flanges 63 .which aresecured toAthe side walls l1l of the casing..y ':l"hus this grid-like structureremains stationary wlienthe bath container reciprocates, and it acts asa means for limiting somewhat theiiiovements offthe .prints within thebath, .although 4the guiding means isy somewhat*.Widertlianft'lie widthof a print so that .limited movement of the mitteel.

extreme rigfht ihand :end .of lits recip'rocation7 and showsltliat theleft handside portions 8l of y'the grid Wires vare soplaeed that they iWill .be slightlyspaced from theleft side of the container When it is inthis position. Similarly, when the container reaches 'the extremelefthand end of. its reciprocation,

the right haiid side portions 8l of the grid .-vv'iies Will be slightlyspaced-from the right Vside of the container. Thus the prints within thegrid-like structure are prevented from coming-into contact lwith theside walls of the bath'containor during the reciprocationsI thereof, sothat they cannot stick to thesides o'r.preveiit-tlie proper formation ofwaves by the reciprocating movement.

The inwardly extending .flanges at the upper edge of .thecontainer 26.prevent to a largeV extenty the splashing or sputtering of the liquid.vithi-n the container when .the container reeiprocated. Sonieslight'spattenv Ving might occur, however, and vin order toprevent-such'spattering from reaching undevelopedpii-nts waiting to bepicked .up near the forward .end of the apparatus7 guard members areprovided as shown in Fig. Ll. These guard members include a verticalplate 9i extending across the casing from one side wall 11 to the other,and another vertical v plate 92 likewise extending across the casingandoverlapping the upturned end 93 of the plate 4:2 on whiehltlfierollers i0 are supported.

print is perirl.)

illustrates the bath vco1itaineir at the A Any liquid Which splashes orspatters out of the container 2G will thus be prevented from reaching apoint where it niight dodainag 95 through Which thedi'ain'pipe` 95 orthe bath container 26 extends. Y Y,

in operation, an exposed print is picked up by the conveying"mechanism.by being iinpaled on Vthe pins 22, and isbroughtalongthrough'developing and Washing baths and up over the roller (Fig. 2) tothe fixing 'bath Within the container26.` Ars the pin bar carrying theprint moves forwardly above this container, the orivardedge of thefprintwill be held up bybeinginpaled on the `pins whilethe rest of theprintvivi'll trail along .in the bath, as isillustrated in Fig. t.l/Vhen the pin bar 2l to which the print lis attached passes around the`sprocket l'xand thus lreverses its direction, the rearward Vmovement otthe oscillating tingers will Wipe the impaled forward edge oit the printoil of the pins 22.' so that the print-'fis freed and the tor. Ward edgethereof falls to the surface ot the bath on which the rest of theprintis already lying.` c i Y During Athis time, the container 26 isconstantly being reciprocated in a transverse direction and this Amotionis transmitted to.

` some extent-to the rear end of the'print`r which Ythoroiig-lily actedupon, by means vof tiie.

i would have to do.` Thus transverse Waves ot is in the bath.Accordingly, since the rear und is shifted back and forth vin-atransverse direction While the frontend is held against transversemovement by the pins 22, the print is somewhat twisted back and forthand this greatly assists the removal of the printfrom the pins 22. i v i'Ti/*hen the print has been freedv trcmthe pins and fic-ating upon thesurface of the bath, it is Vquickly subi'nergedin the bath and Waveswhich are -formed on account ofthe reciprocations ot the bath container,The reciprocating movement of the container in a transverse directionrather than in a. lon gitudinal direction is particularly advantageousnot only because it produces the above mentionedl twisting action on theprint, but also because the Waves produced in the bath are moreeii'icient and eiiective than when the container isinoi'edlongitudinally. Since the lonta-nier has considerably lessbreadtii than length, transverse n'avcs do not have to ioiv as great adistance in order to tion* conipietely over the print as longitudinalWaves losser height or amplitude will act as elle@ tively upon the printas longitudinal Waves ot considerably greater height or amplitude.

The Wave action stirs up the liquid in thcbath and keeps it ot uniformconsistency.

T he icl-like. structure prevents the print troni coming intocontactvviththe sides of the bath container 26 during the reciprocations-othe conta-incr, and thus the print is kept from stickingto the sidesand from interfering'. with theiormation and proper From the foregoingdescription it will be seenV that'an improved apparatus has beenprovided'in which the photographic prints are easilyreinoved fromtheconveying mechanism and in .which they are quickly -subf niergedin aprint treating bath so that they are thoroughly acted upon by the bath.'The apparatus isconiparatively simple, requires only asmall amountot'power to operate it, 1

and is ol' rugged. and durable construction.

1 lhile one embodiment ot the finvention has been disclosed, it is .tobe understoodthat the inventiveideamaybe carried'out in a iiumf beroi'ivays. lThisapplication is theie'tore notte be limited to the precisedetails shown,

but is intendechto cover all variations `and modifications thereofvfalling Within the spirit et the invention or .the scope ofthe:ippencedclaiins. Y, Y vs Lclaiiii asmy invention: i .1. ln aphotographic apparat-iis, the combination with afcoiitainerlior holdinga photographic print treating'bath, said container treating bath, oitaplurality o'l rollers for supportingjsaid container, `a groove in eachof said rollers, a member on said container cX- tending into said grooveioi' guiding the container, and mechanismfor reciprocating said Ycontainer on saidrollers to create Waves in the bath Withintliecontainer. Y

3. In a photographic apparatus, the combination with a support, ot acontainer movable relative to said Vsupport for containing a printtreating bath,niechanism for moving said container relative to saidsupport to create Waves in the bath toiiow over and submerge a printdeposited tliereiinvand guiding means stationaryrelative to said supportfor limiting movement-ot a print Within the bathduring tho movement-s ottho container.

Ll. lira photographic apparatus, the combination with a support, of acontainer for holding a print treating bath movable relative'to s aidsupport,mechanisml for moving said contaiiierto, create Waves in thebath for lioiving over andy subinei'ging a print deposited therein, anda grid stationary relative to said support and placed partially Withinsaid bath for limiting the movement of a photographic'- print placed inthe bath.

5. In'a photographic apparatus, the combination with a frame, of printconveying mechanism, a movable container for holding a print treatingbath, print guiding means comprising a grid-like structure,mounted onsaid frame and having sides projecting downwardly into said containerand a bottom extending across a portion ofA the container below thesurface of the bath therein, means for removing a print from saidconveying mechanism and depositing itin said bath within said grid-likestructure, and mechanism for shifting said container to cause waves inthe bath to flow over and submerge the print.

6. In a photographic apparatus,'the combination with print conveyingmechanism, of a. movable container for holding a print treating bath,means for removing aprint from said conveying mechanism and depositingit in'said bath, a driving shaft, mechanism including a rock shaft foroperating said print removing means, means including a gear on saiddriving shaft for oscillating said rock shaft for operating said printremoving means, a crank member, means including another gear on saiddriving shaft for rotating said crank member, and a link Connecting saidcrank member to said container for reciprocating said container to causewaves therein to ow over and sub-V .merge a print deposited 1n the bath.

7. In a photographic apparatus, the combination with a casing, of printconveying mechanism movable therein, a container within said casing forholding a print treating bath, means for removing a print from saidconveying mechanism and depositing'it in said bath, a shaft passingthrough said casing, an arm on said shaft exteriorly of said casing,another arm on said shaft in the interior of the casing, a rotatabledriving member, mechanism including a link connected to said exteriorarm of vsaid shaft and driven. by said driving member for oscillatingthe shaft, and a substantially U-shaped link interconnecting theinterior arm on said shaft with said print removing means for drivingthe latter from the former.

8. In a photographic apparatus, the combination with a casing, of printconveying mechanism movable therein, a container movably mounted withinsaid casing for holding a print treating bath, means for removing aprint from said conveying mechanism and depositing it in said bath, ashaft passing through said casing, an arm on said shaft exteriorly ofsaid casing, another arm on said shaft in the interior of the casing, arotatable driving member, mechanism including a link connected to theexterior arm of said shaft and driven by said driving member foroscillating the shaft, a link interconnecting the interior arm of saidshaft with said print removing means for driving the latter from theformer, a crank member separate from said shaft and rotated by saiddriving mem-- ber, and a link operatively connecting said crank memberto said container for reciproeating the container to create waves'insaid bath toflovv over and submerge a Aprint de-l .posited therein.

9 In a photographic apparatus, the combination with a container forlholding a print 'treating bath, of an inclined member partiallywithinVsaid container and extending" downwardly'to a point below the surface ofsaid bath, said container and inclined member being movablerelatively toeach other, and mechanism for causing relative movement between saidinclined member and said container so that said inclined member willcontainer and grid-like structure being 1 mountedfor movement relativeto each other,

and mechanism for producing relative movement between said container andsaid gridlike structure so that said inclined sides will act as cams onthe edges of a print in the bath Within said'structure and will tend todepress said edges of the print.

` ARTHUR W. CAPS.

las

